Childhood Revelations
by Southside
Summary: To rekindle their friendship, Hyde and Donna spend the day together. (D & H) COMPLETE
1. Fez's 'Okay'

Chapter 1: Fez's 'Okay'

Donna feverishly tried to pack her numerous amounts of books, photo albums, and notebooks into one box. She growled in frustration as the box refused to close.

"Maybe you should get another box," suggested Jackie from the corner of the room. She was busy herself, folding her friends clothes. Surprisingly, Jackie had been very helpful for the past few weeks in packing up Donna's belongings. Part of her intent for helping was to get the room to herself and redecorate it to fit her liking.

"I never realized I had so much crap!" the red head exclaimed, looking around her cluttered room. She wiped away a streak off sweat off her forehead and turned to Jackie. "No more packing today."

Jackie looked extremely relieved. "Thank god," she threw a red blouse aside, "I was about to ditch you to go to the movies."

After hours of endless organizing and packing, a nice night out at the movies seemed very tempting. "We could still go if you want?"

The brunette shifted her balance uncomfortably. "Actually, Donna, I was going to meet someone there."

Donna grinned. _'Finally, she chose one of them. If she chose Kelso over Hyde, I'm going to kick her ass for being so stupid.' _"So, who are you meeting?"

Her face lit up. "Oh my god, Donna," she grabbed a hold of her shoulders, "he's so cute. His name is Stan and he -"

Donna shook her head. "Wait a minute," she pointed her finger at her, "you said that you were going to chose between Hyde and Kelso, remember? After you got your tan?"

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Please, I'm not going to chose between _those _two." She noticed her friend's bewildered look and decided to explain herself. "Look, I got to thinking and I realized that they both really hurt me. I don't need someone like that. I need someone I can trust and who can trust me. I thought Steven would be better, but he's just like Michael."

Donna nearly winced at the last remark. "Hyde is nothing like Kelso. He made one mistake and he's really sorry."

"So was Michael!" Jackie snapped. "And, he did it again… and again. How do I know Steven won't do the same thing?"

"Jackie, I know Hyde, okay? He's a great guy and I know he won't hurt you like that again!" She paused and lowered her voice to a much calmer tone. "You're lucky to have him."

None of her words seemed to sink on, because Jackie still had a look of disbelief on her face. "If he's such a great guy, why don't _you_ date him?" she said nastily. With that, she stormed out of the room.

"I should have," she said to herself. She jolted backwards, surprised by her own words. _'Where the hell did that come from?'_

* * *

Hyde reached his hand down the freezer trying to get a popsicle. Unfortunately, the freezer box felt empty. "Hey, who ate the last popsicle?" he questioned. He turned to see a very guilty-looking Kelso chewing on a popsicle stick. Hyde crossed his arms and glared at his friend.

"W-What?" he stuttered, looking very nervous. "I was hungry."

Hyde sighed. _'Maybe Donna has some food.'_ He closed the empty freezer box and walked over to the door. "I'm going to Donna's to see is she has anything."

"Hey, while you're there, can you get me something? This popsicle didn't fill me up," he said, holding up the stick. Hyde eyed him at first, then threw a magazine at his face before exiting the basement.

He walked into her deserted kitchen. He didn't bother to knock; he knew Donna wouldn't mind. She had bigger things to think about. Hyde opened up the fridge and began shopping around. He settled on a couple of fudgesicles and a coke.

Turning to leave, he heard a voice from behind him. "What are you doing?" Hyde turned to see a very exhausted Donna, her hair held back by a handkerchief.

"Well," he began, looking at the items in his hands, "just grocery shopping." His hand was on the doorknob, ready to leave but seeing Donna sitting at the table, looking miserable, stopped him.

"Everything's moving so fast," she said as Hyde sat down across from her. "It was fun planning it. You know, looking at apartments, the town…"

"C'mon, you should have expected this to happen some time," he reminded her, opening the fudgesicle. He slid the other one across the table.

"Thanks," she said, catching it. "Is Eric done packing?"

"Not even close," he laughed. "I caught Kitty hiding some of his things. Its' funny watching him look for them. I guess she really doesn't want him to go."

Donna chuckled. She could picture her doing that. "Yeah, I'm not done either. Kelso was helping me earlier but he kept trying to steal my underwear, so I told him to leave. Then, Jackie came by, but then she went on a date wi -" Realizing what she just said, she cleared her throat and changed the subject. 'Wow, these are good fudgesicles."

To her surprise, Hyde grinned. "Don't worry about it, Donna. I expected something like this to happen." Hearing this, she felt relieved. Whenever she mentioned anything about choosing between Hyde and Kelso to Jackie, she nearly bites her head off. She should have known that Hyde wouldn't act like his ex-girlfriend did. It wasn't like him to overreact. It was a trait she admired in him.

"So, when are you guys leaving?" he asked, removing his sunglasses and hanging them on his collar.

"In about two weeks," she answered quietly, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Two weeks," she repeated, reminding herself that she was about to leave everything she'd grown up with. She knew her friends would join her in UW eventually, but not Hyde. He decided not to go. _'God, how long will it be when I get to see him again?' _

"I'll see you later," he said, getting up from his chair, walking over to the door.

"Hey, Hyde," she called to him. He turned to look at her. "How long has it been since me and you hung out alone? I mean, _really _hung out?"

"Um…" his eyes rolled up to the ceiling, pondering over the question.

"Man, if we even have to think about it, it's been too long," she laughed, walking over to him. "Do you want to hang out tomorrow?" She had no idea why she felt so nervous asking him this.

"Sure," he said coolly. He put on his shades again and smiled at her. "I'll see you tomorrow." He walked outside, leaving Donna standing alone in the kitchen. She had a triumphant smile on her face. This is what she needed. Some time to spend with one of her best friends.

__

'Finally, something to look forward to.'

* * *

He was pretty surprised by her suggestion to spend time alone with her. Hyde never realized how long it's been since they last did something together. After all, she was one of his best friends… and the first girl he ever had feelings for.

Hyde would never admit to anyone how much he was hurt when Donna chose Eric over him. He learned to dance for _her, _he poured his heart out for the first time for _her, _and she was too drunk to remember. He scolded himself for not making a move earlier, but he knew it wouldn't have mattered. She never looked at him the way she looked at Eric, a glint in her eye that she only shared with him.

He knew where it all started: middle school. She kept glancing at him when she thought no one was looking, she would wrestle with him more than she did with Kelso or himself, and she would sped more time with him alone in his basement. It annoyed him how she gave Eric so much special attention. _'The idiot couldn't even see what she was doing.'_

Hyde tried to shake off the memories, knowing that'll only make him feel worse. He accepted the fact that Donna chose Eric, not him. He accepted this a long time ago. However, he felt like he was forced to.

Walking into the basement, he noticed that Fez had joined Kelso on the couch. Hyde remembered when he used to ask Fez for advice about what to do about his feelings for Donna. He gave him the 'okay' to go after her. It was something he always appreciated.

"Took you long enough!" Kelso complained. He looked at Hyde's empty hands. "You didn't bring me anything?"

"Too bad, man," he replied, sitting down on his favorite chair. "I was just talking to Donna."

"Donna's been acting really mean lately," he began, crossing his arms over his chest. "I was helping her pack her stuff and she caught me stealing one pair of panties. She flipped out and told me to leave." He sighed. "She's like a panties Nazi."

Fez giggled. "Panties Nazi. Sounds dirty."

"Well, since _someone _didn't get me anything to eat like a good friend, I'll have to get it myself," Kelso told them, walking upstairs to the kitchen.

When he knew Kelso was out of earshot, Hyde walked over and sat down next to Fez. "Hey, Fez, remember the time when I wanted to break up Eric and Donna's first date?"

Fez's eyes widened. "Are you going to try to break them up again? Because, Donna's almost a married woman, that's not right. You know, in my country - "

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Hyde interrupted him. "I'd be stringed from the tallest tree. But, remember Fez, we're not in your country."

Fez looked at him for a moment then smiled. "Right, so good luck with Donna." He pressed his fingers to his lips. 'Don't tell Eric. I still like his basement."

Hyde gave him a pat on the shoulder and thanked him. He wasn't sure if he was going to actually make a move, but it was nice to know that Fez was giving him the 'okay'.

* * *

The next day, Donna was busying herself with her hair. She had no idea how she wanted to style it. Up, down, half up _and_ down. _'Why am I working so hard to look good? It's just Hyde.' _Either way, she continued, finally settling on down.

She was too busy with smoothing out her hair to notice that Eric just entered her room. He crept up from behind and kissed her neck, nearly making her jump. "Hmm, you're prettying yourself up. Got something special planned?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow in attempt to look sexy.

She laughed. "No, not really."

"Well, then," he strode over to her bed and sat down. He patted down on it. "No one is around, Donna. We can be _naughty._" He grinned at her.

"Actually, me and Hyde are going out today." She tried to say this as quickly as possible.

His expression completely changed. "Y-You and Hyde?" he paused as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Why?"

"Because he's my friend, Eric," she told him. "Calm down."

"I am calm," he replied unconvincingly. "Totally cool with this."

"Okay," she looked at him awkwardly. _'I can't believe he still can't trust him.' _

She walked out of her room and into her kitchen where Hyde was already waiting for her. Donna's stomach did a cartwheel when she caught sight of him. She felt a mixture of feelings: excited and nervous. She could remember feeling this way when she first went out with Eric.

"Ready?" Hyde asked, opening the door.

"Yeah," she smiled, walking outside. Hyde and Eric soon followed her. Before going over to the car, she turned to Eric. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Sure," he replied, giving her a fake smile, eyeing Hyde suspiciously. "Have fun." He watched them walk away, disappearing as they drove off. Eric knew he shouldn't worry about them being alone together. But, he couldn't help feeling ill.

* * * * * * * *

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I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter. Tell me what you thought of it. I'll try to update soon. 

__


	2. Ground Rules

Chapter 2: Ground Rules

Donna peered out the window, watching as the familiar houses passed by. She couldn't help feeling that a huge chunk of her life will be taken from her when she married Eric. Of course, she loved him but was that enough? Maybe everybody was right; they were too young to know what they're getting into.

"Are you okay?" His question brought her back to reality. She turned to see a look of concern on his face.

She forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking."

"Donna, let's not worry about anything today," he told her, his eyes on the road. "Let's lay some ground rules down. One: No talking about your move with Forman. Two: No talking about Jackie. And three: No talking about sappy crap."

Donna cocked an eyebrow. "Sappy crap?"

"You know," he began, running his hand through his hair, "no good-byes."

"C'mon Hyde," she chuckled, "you told me yourself to admit what I was doing by marrying Eric and - "

"Just don't talk about it today, all right?" he snapped, removing his sunglasses and tossing them aside. "_I _don't want to think about that."

The red head shrugged and turned away, trying her hardest not to show pity. She knew all too well about how much he hated that. "Fine, no more talking about that."

"All right," he replied, returning to his usual Zen-like state. "That's more like it." Donna tried hard not to blush when he gave her one of his famous smirks.

* * *

Slowly, Eric walked home, his head down and his hands in his pockets. He was filled with unbelievable hatred toward his best friend, or at least that's what he thought he was. _'This was even worse than when I saw him at the Vineyard during my first date with Donna.' _

Eric entered the basement and slammed the door behind him, causing Kelso and Fez to jump. He stood there, his hands on his hips and glared at his friends.

Kelso gave a nervous glance at Fez before speaking. "Is something wrong, man?"

"It's Hyde," he began, "he's just… and Donna, she's like… and you know… they're… dammit!" His anger was preventing him from speaking clearly. He slumped down on the chair and tried to calm down.

Fez leaned in towards Kelso and whispered rather loudly. "I think he's upset about something." Kelso nodded stupidly.

"Of course I'm upset!" he spat at them. "You know where Donna and Hyde are right now?"

Kelso's hand shot up in the air. "Oh, let me guess. They're down at that new seafood restaurant. All you can eat, dude."

Fez's eyes widened. "All you can eat? Wait," he paused, "those bastards went without us!"

Eric rubbed his temple; he couldn't believe his friends could be this stupid. "No, they're on a date." His friends' jaws dropped. "Yep, that's right. My best friend and my fiancé are on a date."

"They went on a date to the seafood restaurant?" Kelso asked, still not believing what he just heard.

Eric got up from his chair and started pacing the room. "No, man. They wouldn't tell me where they were going. It's like a _secret _or something."

"C'mon, Eric. Hyde wouldn't do that to you," Kelso tried to explain to his friend.

He shook his head. "I didn't think he would after he promised me that he would back off. But, you weren't there, man. There was something going on. You didn't see the way he looked at her." He paused as he found that what he was about to say was something he never wanted to admit out loud. "You didn't see the way she looked at _him._"

Eric slumped back down on his chair. His explanation seemed to drain all his energy. He didn't even notice that Fez was looking extremely uncomfortable. He was trying his best not to say anything that could blow Hyde's cover.

* * *

Hyde pulled up into the very familiar parking lot. "Wow, the Hub," Donna laughed, "not like we've ever been here before."

He shrugged. "Well, I know that fancy restaurants aren't your thing."

Donna nodded. _'Wow, he really does know me.' _ "Yeah, the Hub's fine."

"I knew you wouldn't mind," he told her, putting on his shades. "Plus, I'm too cheap to take you anywhere else."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Damn, Hyde. You don't have to be that honest."

Hyde grinned and put his arm around her. "You know you love it." Donna felt a sudden rush of heat where his hand was firmly placed on her shoulder. She looked into his shade-covered eyes, silently begging him to remove them. She wanted nothing more than to look into those honest, blue eyes that she always loved.

He ran his thumb back and forth against the creamy skin of her shoulder. _'Thank god she wore a tank top today.' _ He didn't know how long his hand was there. All that was on his mind was how her skin was so incredibly soft to his touch.

Donna's mind was telling her to back away, but her body wasn't listening. She could feel herself leaning in, her eyes closing shut. Hyde noticed this and pulled away. He cleared his throat. "Let's get something to eat."

She tried desperately to not look hurt as Hyde got out of the car. Donna followed him inside, ashamed of what she was so close in doing.

* * *

"What do you think they're doing right now?" Eric questioned his friends as he grabbed a handful of chips. They were in their usual positions, making a somewhat circle.

"Well, if it was me with Donna," Kelso began, "I would be trying to feel her up." A look of horror fell upon Eric's face. Noticing this, Kelso tried to cover up his mistake. "But, it's Hyde, so they're just hanging out."

Finally, Fez spoke up. "Eric, Donna wouldn't do anything with Hyde. She loves you for some weird reason. And if she was the cheating type, she would have had sex with Kelso over a million times by now."

Kelso nodded in agreement. "That's true, man. I hit on her all the time but she never gives in. I mean, I can't even count how many times I tried to trick her into doing it with me when we were in California."

Eric reached across the table and frogged Kelso in the arm and then calmly returned to his seat. "You know what? You idiots might be right."

"Of course we are, Eric," Fez told him. "Donna would not leave you… even though she seems like she needs an escape from all this wedding stuff. And, even though Hyde is a handsome, charming man who used to be in love with her and is alone with her when she is unsure of her future." He paused. "Other that that buddy, she's a keeper."

"Thanks Fez," Eric replied sarcastically. "That makes me feel so much better."

Fez nearly beamed. _'Oh, nice save Fez.' _

* * *

"Hey, remember the time when we were 13 and we tried to steal some of red's beer?" Donna said after they got their food and made themselves comfortable in the corner table. They had spent the past few minutes recollecting on their childhood memories. This was mostly a tactic to erase the awkward situation in the car, which seemed to be working.

"Yeah, I remember that," Hyde laughed at the thought of it. "We made Kelso create a diversion while Forman snuck into the kitchen to get the beers."

"Didn't Kelso light up some firecrackers as a distraction?"

"Yeah, but the dumbass burnt one of his fingers and Red went into the kitchen to get him some ice. He caught Forman in the act."

"Oh yeah," she chuckled. "Then he chased us with the hose."

"Yep, good times," he replied, dipping his French fry in the ketchup.

"See, that's what I miss about our childhood," Donna said, taking a sip of her coke.

"What? Getting chased with a hose?"

"Not just that. I mean, doing stuff that could get us killed," she began. "You know, kick-ass stuff."

"Well, when you and Forman got together, things changed," he admitted. Hyde could feel himself tensing up. This was something that bothered him for years.

"I know the whole 'getting married and moving away' stuff changed everything but - "

"Hey," Hyde cut her off. "Rule number one, Donna: No talk about the move."

"Fine," she shrugged. "I don't know why it bothers you so much."

"It bothers me because I hate the idea of things changing around here," he said softly, removing his sunglasses. He could feel her pitying him and he hated it. "Hey, just forget it. Let's just enjoy today and not think about what comes afterwards, all right?"

Realizing that this is what she wanted and needed, she smiled.

* * *

"Do you think we should look for them?" Eric asked after his high wore off.

"Of course we should look for them," Kelso told him. "They're probably doing it right now."

Eric glared at him. "Kelso, if I didn't have to stalk my fiancé and my best friend, I'd kick your ass right now."

"Sorry, man," he replied, holding up his hands. "Just trying to be sensitive."

"Look, whatever," Eric shook his head. "Where do you think they are?"

Fez snapped his fingers. "Probably the seafood restaurant."

"Nah, that place is expensive," Eric explained. "Knowing Hyde, he's very cheap." Then it dawned on him. "The Hub."

Kelso raised his fist in the air. "To the Hub!"

In less than ten minutes, they pulled up in front of the restaurant. Eric got out quickly and peered inside. He could see them at the corner table. They were laughing, clearly enjoying themselves. Eric could feel himself filling with anger as he saw Hyde's hand take a hold of Donna's.

Without a second thought, he burst inside and walked over to the table. He placed his hands firmly on his hips and gave then a fake smile. "Hey guys. Didn't know you'd be here."

Hyde glared at him. He was the last person he wanted to see. It was unbelievable that just a second ago, he was thinking about how nothing could ruin the great time he was having with Donna.

He thought too soon.

* * * * * * *

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Sorry that I took forever to update. I'll try to get the next chapter out soon. In the meantime, I'd love to hear what you thought of it.


	3. First Dose of Revelations

Chapter 3: First Dose of Revelations

Donna looked up at her fiancé with disbelief. She couldn't believe that he would have the nerve to come down here and check up on her. Could he not trust her after all they've been through together? Anger seeped through her as she ran her hand through her red locks.

"Eric, what are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes boring down on him.

Eric shrugged, still having the fake smile plastered on his face. "Just came in to get something to eat with the guys." He patted both Kelso and Fez's shoulders.

"Great. Bring us into this mess," Fez muttered.

"Forman, what the hell?" Hyde got up from his chair to face his friend. _'What did he think we were doing? I can't believe that he still thinks that I'm after Donna.' _

"I told you," he chuckled. "Just came here to get something to eat. It's not like I haven't done that before." Eric resisted the urge to punch his friend in the face. He had a very good idea of what Hyde was up to. He wasn't going to stand around and let it happen.

"Eric," Donna took a hold of his arm, "can I talk to you?"

He gave a quick glance at Hyde, then nodded. "Sure, I think we should." They walked out the door.

"What's going on, man?" Hyde asked his friends.

Kelso shrugged. "Nothing, man. Just hungry."

"Forman was checking up on us, wasn't he?" Hyde didn't even have to ask; he already knew the answer.

"He's just worried that you're going to steal Donna away from him," Fez told him.

"I mean, Donna's been acting really weird lately," Kelso added. "Now, all of a sudden, she wants to go on a date -"

"It's not a date!" Hyde cut him off. "I'm just spending some time with her. Just because he's going to marry her doesn't mean he owns her, man."

"Hey, don't yell at me," Kelso held up his hands. "I'm not the one who doesn't trust you."

Hyde shrugged and sat back down. Kelso and Fez joined him. "Are you going to finish those?" Fez asked, pointing at the fries. Hyde slid the basket across the table towards his friend.

* * *

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Eric asked, looking down at his feet.

"Do you trust me, Eric?"

His eyes widened, surprised by the question. "What?"

"Do you trust me?" she repeated.

"Of course I do," he replied softly.

"Then why are you here?" She held up her hands.

"I just… well… I thought," he stammered. He couldn't get his thoughts straight.

"Look," she walked a little closer to him, "I know I've been distant for the past week, but I'm just thinking things through. Our lives are going to change, Eric. I needed someone to talk to that -"

"Donna, you can talk to me." He took a hold of her hand.

"No, I can't," she told him, looking away. "I need someone to help me keep my mind off of certain things, just for a while."

"Certain things like me," he said, running his hand through his hair. 

"Eric, it's not that," she rolled her eyes. "I just want to spend time with Hyde. It's been a while since I've done that."

"I guess it's all right then," he sighed. "You and Hyde should hang out."

Donna smiled. "Thanks, Eric." She gave him a quick kiss and led him back inside. The couple walked over to their friends.

"So, are we good?" Hyde asked him. He really hoped Eric would get over his paranoia.

"Yeah, man," he smiled. "Sorry about all this."

"It's okay," Donna told him. She was relieved that he was cool with this.

Hyde got up from his chair. "I guess we should leave then."

She nodded and followed him towards the door. She turned to look at her fiancé. "I'll see you later, okay?" He merely nodded as they walked out the door.

Eric let out a deep sigh and sat down. "So, you're okay with them being alone together?" Kelso asked.

He chuckled. "Of course not."

* * *

Not for one second did Hyde believe Eric. He just seemed to cool about all this. It seemed very un-Forman like. Hyde had a sense that Donna believed him or at least wanted to. _'Why is Forman so worried? Does he think that she'll instantly leave him for me?' _Hyde couldn't help but smile at the thought of that happening. _'It would be nice to have her…' _

"So, where are we going?" she asked, playing with the radio.

"I thought about heading up to the reservoir," he told her. "You know, so we can be alone."

Donna could feel her face getting hot. "Yeah, that's cool." She still didn't know why she felt so anxious about the idea of being alone with him. She's known him for years. She has spent time alone with him before. However, from the very beginning of their 'date', she knew that this would be different.

She took a good look at the man seated next to her. Her eyes landed first on his face. As usual, his eyes were hidden behind his shades. Donna noticed that he had very soft features for a guy who puts on a real tough front. She knew that underneath it all, he was one of the sweetest guys she knew. Donna's eyes traveled to the side of his face where he had his pork chop side burns; she couldn't imagine him without them. 

Her eyes went down to his very solid chest. His somewhat tight, black T-shirt did well in showing it off. His arms were nice and muscular, not _too _muscular. It was just enough to shape them beautifully. She wondered how it felt to be held in those arms. 

Overall, he was an attractive guy. Correction, a _very _attractive guy. Donna forced herself to look away. She hoped that Hyde didn't catch her staring at him. She couldn't let him know about the kinds of thoughts that were going through her head.

Hyde parked the car a little away from the lake. The two got out and walked over to the hood to sit down. They sat there silently for a few moments, before he broke the ice. "So, are you going to miss all this when you move away?"

Donna let out a sarcastic gasp. "Hyde, what about the rules?"

He smiled. "Screw the rules. No, really. Are you going to miss it?"

"Of course I am," she began, looking at her surroundings. "I mean, I'll visit and everything. It's not like I'm leaving forever."

"It won't be the same, though," he reminded her.

"I know that," she replied softly, her eyes on the ground. "This was bound to happen. You knew I wasn't going to stay in Point Place for the rest of my life."

"I know, and you shouldn't. You deserve better than this crappy town." Hyde tried to search for the right words to express how much he was going to miss having her around. He did the best he could. "It's going to suck when you guys leave." _'Real smooth man.' _

"Yeah, but you'll come down and visit us," she said. "Especially when we go to all those college parties."

Hyde chuckled. "Yep, those should be fun." It was true that he would get to visit her, but it wouldn't be the same. He won't be able to see her everyday. She won't be just next door; she'll be in a whole other town. God, he was going to miss her.

"A lot of great memories we shared," Donna stated, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. "Remember the time we went to that disco?"

He remembered that night clearly. "Yeah, we danced right? Mrs. Forman gave me lessons." As soon as he said it, he wanted to take it back.

Donna cocked an eyebrow. "What? Mrs. Forman gave you lessons? Why would you do that?"

Hyde looked her squarely in the eyes. He had to tell her. "For you. I learned to dance for you."

Her jaw nearly dropped. Everything began to come back to her. She remembered him telling her that he really wanted to kiss her. She didn't take him seriously. Back then, he was just her buddy Hyde. She couldn't look at him any other way. She didn't let herself do that.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Her voice was barely audible.

"Because it didn't matter," he told her firmly. "There are lots of thing I kept to myself when you started dating Forman."

"Like what?" She was very interested in what he had been hiding from her all these years.

"The time you went to the Vineyard with Forman, I was there," he began. He hated reliving this night. "I told you that I had feelings for you, but you were too drunk to understand."

Donna was shocked about the fact that she couldn't recall him being there. All she remembered was something about singing, chicken, and Long Island iced teas. "What did I say?"

He let out a dry laugh. "You didn't say anything. You just beeped my nose."

She looked completely horrified.

* * *

Jackie walked up to the entrance of the Hub. She had cut her second date short with Stan, finding him rather boring. She pretended to be sick and made her way to the usual hang out, hoping that some of her friends would be there. She was in luck; she spotted three of them at a table.

"Hey, guys," she greeted, pulling up a chair next to Kelso. She looked around at the group and her eyes stopped on Eric. He was looking rather glum. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, nothing," he replied, wistfully. "It's just that Donna and Hyde are on a date."

Jackie nearly choked on her French fry. Eric took great pleasure in her reaction. "What?"

"Yep, they wanted to spend some 'time' together," Eric muttered.

The little brunette's mind was spinning. They couldn't possibly be on a date. She knew that wholesome Donna would never do anything with Hyde. She was too loyal to Eric and herself. Although, she could remember the time when Hyde was after Donna. But, that was all in the past.

As much as she tried to convince herself that nothing was going on between them, she couldn't help but feel worried. Soon enough, she was looking as glum as Eric.

* * *

"I did what?" Donna asked, her eyes still wide.

"Forget it, you were drunk," he said coolly. "It doesn't matter now."

"Why didn't you say something before that date?"

"I tried to, but I didn't know what to say, man." He was beginning to feel very vulnerable and he didn't like it.

"You should have said something," she told him firmly. "I had no idea you felt that way about me." All this time, he really wanted to be with her.

He shrugged and looked away. Donna could feel herself moving closer to him. Her hand went up to caress the side of his face. His eyes closed as he felt her fingertips brush against his skin. They were so soft and warm. He felt her turn his face towards her; his eyes were only half-open now. She leaned in and pressed her lips gently on his, creating a very soft kiss.

This time, he didn't pull away. Instead, he pulled her closer to deepen it.

* * * * * * * * *

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I'm sorry for not updating sooner. I hope you've enjoyed it so far. There's more to come. Tell me what you thought of it.


	4. The True Wearer of the Pants

Chapter 4: The True Wearer of the Pants

They broke apart slowly and rather reluctantly. The fact of what they had just done didn't sink in immediately. For a few moments, they were the only people that mattered. There were no engagements, moves, or broken hearts… just them. It was hard for them to break away from that.

"So," Hyde cleared his throat, "I think we should leave."

He was about to jump off the hood, but Donna pulled him back. "Wait a minute. What just happened?"

Hyde shrugged. "Nothing, just forget it." He slid off the hood and walked over to the side of the car. He didn't know why he wasn't feeling happy about this. A second ago, he was kissing the girl he always wanted. This should have brought him some joy. Instead, he felt guilty.

"You can't just ignore this," she told him as she too got off the hood. She stood right in front of him; her arms crossed, and determined to not let him dodge away from this.

"Yeah, we can, Donna," he said firmly, not taking his eyes off of her. "And we will."

Donna ran both her hands through her hair in pure frustration. _'I'm not going to let him ignore this.' _"Hyde, please."

He turned away and walked a few paces from her. "We can't tell anybody about this."

His words hit her hard. She couldn't believe he was going to pretend it didn't happen. _'Didn't he feel something like I did?' _She could sense herself breaking down, but she forced her tears back. She wasn't about to cry… not in front of him.

Although she tried to hide her tears, one of them escaped and slid down her cheek. Hyde walked over to her and brushed it away with his thumb. "C'mon, man. Don't do this. You're getting married… to my best friend. You guys we'll be happy together."

"I know," she said, her eyes on the ground. "I'm not sure I want all that."

Hyde shook his head. "Don't do this, okay?" He had to say this for everyone's own good. He knew that this is what he wanted to hear, but he couldn't let her throw everything away for him. He believed he wasn't worth it. Hyde cared about Donna, but he didn't think he was good enough for her. She deserved someone better.

"No, I can't do this anymore," she said softly. "I can't… I don't…" She trailed off.

"You don't what?"

Donna cleared her throat. "I don't want to get married."

* * *

"What are you two so worried about?" Fez asked, looking at both Jackie and Eric scowling.

Jackie shook her head. "Nothing, because nothing is going on between Steven and Donna." She was mainly trying to convince herself.

"Of course not," Kelso began. "It's not like Hyde is known for stealing other guys' girlfriends." He paused for a moment then shouted, "Wait, yes he is!"

Eric rolled his eyes. "Jackie wasn't your girlfriend at the time. Besides, it was funny that time."

"Thank you Eric for that," she spat at him.

"It's the same thing," Kelso pointed out.

Eric slammed his fist on the table. "No, it's not. Donna's my _fiancée. _We made a promised to be together forever. God, I shouldn't have let her go." He crossed his arms over his chest.

Fez let out a 'tut'.

The skinny boy turned to look at him. "Excuse me?"

"It's just that Donna would have went regardless," Fez stated, letting his eyes wander anywhere but on Eric's face. "She wanted to spend time with Hyde, and you couldn't have just said 'no' to her."

Kelso nodded. "Yep, Big D does wear the pants in your relationship."

"What?" Eric was at a lost of words. "I am the… you know… sole wearer of the pants."

Jackie scoffed. "Please, she owns the pants."

Eric smiled at her. "Hey, Jackie. Remember the time Hyde cheated on you with a skanky nurse?" The brunette stood quiet. _'Yep, that shut her up.' _

Kelso patted his friend's shoulder. "Don't worry, Eric. Being bossed around by your lady is great. I love it, man."

Eric gave him a stern look. "Shut up, Kelso."

* * *

"What do you mean you don't want to get married?" Hyde asked her. This was something he thought he would never hear her say.

"I don't want to," she told him, leaning against the car. "I didn't want to for a while."

"Why didn't you say anything to Forman?"

She shrugged. "I thought that I could just stall it, you know? Maybe put it off for a while. I don't want to be all tied down right when I start college."

Hyde removed his sunglasses and tossed them into the car. "You should really tell him."

She sighed. "I know, but he seems so happy about it. I don't know how to break it to him."

"Yeah, he'll probably blame me."

"Well, Hyde," she turned to look at him. "It is sort of your fault. You made me realize that I couldn't go through with it. When we kissed, I felt something and -"

"No, no, no," he shook his finger at her. "Don't do that."

"Hyde, we can't just pretend we didn't kiss."

"Yeah, we can," he chuckled. "It's called lying."

"No, Hyde," she took a hold of his hand. "We can't."

He reached out to caress the side of her face. Donna blushed. These little touches always drove her wild. Hyde willed himself to not kiss her again. So, he asked her, "Are you goin' leave Forman?"

"I don't know," she said, looking him straight in the eyes. "I need some time to think about it."

"That's cool." He was only inches away from her face. Her lips looked so soft…

"Hey, remember when this date was supposed to be light hearted and fun?" she asked with a grin on her face.

He chuckled. "Yeah, whatever happened to that plan?"

"C'mon," she led him to the front of the car. They climbed back onto the hood. The couple sat there for a few moments until Donna remembered something. "Hey, you wouldn't by any chance have some… you know?"

Hyde shook his head. "I left it in the basement."

She sighed. "Damn. That could really helped us to mellow out."

"I couldn't agree more," he replied.

* * *

"Where do you think they are right now?" Eric asked, swirling his straw in his milk shake.

"Oh, no." Fez shook his head in disbelief.

"Oh, yes my friend," he smiled. "I'm going to look for them."

He got up to leave, but Fez took a hold of his shoulders. "Eric, as your friend, I need to tell you something: You are stupid."

"That's true you know," Jackie added.

"Shut up, I am not!" he exclaimed. "I know Hyde is after her. That's why he wanted to go on this date. He wants to steal Donna away from me."

"Yep, you just can't trust a guy with a perm," Kelso explained.

"Look, Steven wouldn't do that," Jackie told him. "Plus, Donna loves you and stuff."

Eric shook his finger at her. "I can't believe you're not more upset about this. Don't you still like Hyde?"

Jackie shrugged. "I have a few lingering feelings, but I'm not going to spaz out like you're doing."

He let out a dry laugh. "I'm not spazzing out." They all gave him a look. "Okay, maybe I am a little."

"Let's go back to the basement," Fez said, leading the group towards the exit. Eric was reluctant at first, but soon followed the others.

* * *

"It's getting late," Donna said, hopping off the hood. "We should go."

Hyde nodded and hopped off as well. Unfortunately, he didn't want this day to end. It would mean that she was getting closer to leaving him. Hyde didn't want to face that quite yet.

They got into the car and drove off. Donna turned to Hyde. "Thank you for tonight. I had a really good time."

He shrugged. "It was nothing."

"Yes, it was," she said firmly. "And thanks for the kiss. That was nice, too." She was blushing extremely.

"Yeah, it was. I'm just glad you didn't slap me that time," he laughed.

"Oh my god," she covered her face with her hands, remembering the ski trip. She didn't know why she slapped him. It took her by surprise; she didn't know how to react. Donna could remember being angry with him for doing that. The kiss confused her, making her feel something for someone who she always thought as just a friend. She wasn't ready to cope with that.

"Sorry about the slap," she apologized. "Did it hurt?"

"A little," he replied. "I just wanted to kiss you again, since you were my first."

"What are you talking about?"

Hyde glanced at her. "Remember, we were around 10 and we went to the beach with the Forman's. I kissed you, then you got mad and threw sad in my face."

"Oh, yeah," she nodded. "But, that wasn't my first kiss."

He shot a look at her. "What?"

__

'I can't believe I'm telling him this.' "Kelso was my first kiss."

Hyde began to laugh hysterically. "Oh my god. You kissed Kelso?"

"Oh, no. _He _kissed me," she told him. "And I punched him in the stomach for that."

He shook his head. "I can't believe you kissed two Kelsos."

She smiled. "Shut up, Hyde."

* * *

Eric could see the car pull up into the driveway. He walked over to the screen door and watched as they got out of the car. They both had smiles on their faces.

__

'So, they had a good time.' He turned away and walked out of the kitchen. Taking two stairs at a time, he made his way back to his room. He wasn't sure about what he was planning on doing, but he knew it had to wait. For now, he needed to cool down.

Tomorrow he would have a long talk with Donna.

* * * * * * *

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I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Tell me what you thought of it.


	5. Breakups and Goodbyes

Chapter 5: Breakups and Goodbyes

Donna crept into her room, not wanting to wake up her roommate. She shed her clothes, put on her cotton pajamas, and crawled into bed. However, sleep did not come. The events of the night kept replaying in her head, and the thought of what she would tell her fiancé the following morning kept her up for a good portion of the night. Finally, she drifted off to sleep.

Surprisingly, the next morning, the red head got up at her usual hour. With sleepy eyes, she looked over at the cot, which was now empty. Donna swung her legs over to the side of the bed and made her way to the kitchen.

"Morning, pumpkin," her father greeted her happily. He was finishing up his breakfast with Jackie seated right next to him. The brunette didn't even bother to look up.

"Hey, dad," she replied, getting a bowl and plopping down right next to her friend. Jackie was eerily quiet, swirling her spoon in the cereal. _'Eric must have told her.' _

Soon enough, Bob left for work, leaving the two girls in an awkward situation. Donna was more than happy to keep her mouth shut. She had no idea how Jackie would react to her spending more time with Hyde. The girl maybe tiny, but she can throw those fists. She had seen what she had done to Laurie.

"Did you have fun with Steven?" Jackie's voice was low and toneless. Donna would have preferred if she yelled; it would have been less creepy.

"Yeah, it was fun," she replied, rather quickly. _'I need to get out of here.' _

Jackie smirked at the sight of the oddly, panicky Donna. "I'm not mad… surprisingly."

She nodded. "You shouldn't be."

"I know, but Eric is." Donna rolled her eyes, remembering that she had to talk to him. "You should really tell him how you really feel about Steven."

Donna smiled. "How do you know I have feelings for Hyde?"

She chuckled. "I can read people easily. It's one of my many gifts." The older girl shook her head and got up from the table. She had to change before she went next door.

* * *

At the Forman residence, there was yet another awkward breakfast. Eric had not looked or said anything to Hyde that morning. He was beyond the stage of snarky comments; he was pissed off.

Kitty had noticed the tension at her table. She looked from her son to her 'adopted' son. "Okay, what's going on here?"

Eric flashed her a fake smile. "Nothing, Mom. We're just having a nice breakfast, right Dad?"

Not looking up from his paper, he muttered an 'ahem'. Kitty, however, was still concerned. "Don't you lie to me. What's going on, mister?"

Before anyone could answer, Donna walked in through the sliding door. "Eric, can I talk to you?" Eric threw his spoon on the table and followed her outside.

Kitty gave Hyde a look. "You don't want to know," he told her.

* * *

The couple made their way to the garage. Donna closed the door to make sure no one could eavesdrop. What she was about to say was too important.

"Eric, I know you're mad." He rolled his eyes, but she ignored it. "I need to say something and it's not going to be easy." She could feel his eyes piercing through her. "I d-don't want to get married." His unblinking eyes were still on her. He didn't say a word. _'For the love of god say something.' _

Eric turned his back to her. "I can't believe this. What did Hyde say to you?"

Donna's eyes narrowed. "It's not Hyde's fault! I didn't want to get married for long time."

He snapped around. "Then why didn't you say anything? Why did you wait so long to tell me?"

"I didn't know how," she answered him as a couple of hot tears streamed down her face. "You seemed so happy."

He placed his hands firmly on his hips. "You know what? You're right. I was happy. I was happy because I thought I was marrying the woman I loved. Boy, was I wrong!" he spat at her, the last remark reeking in sarcasm.

Donna grabbed him by the shoulders. "Eric, believe me. I didn't want this to happen. It just did."

"So, you don't want to marry me, right?" he asked. "Do you even want to be with me anymore?" _'Please don't say no.' _

She didn't really say anything, but as she covered her face and sobbed, Eric knew the answer. He took a few steps away from her, not believing what just happened. He walked over to the door and tried to open it.

Donna noticed what he was doing and tried to stop him. She took a hold of his arm. "Wait don't leave."

"No, I think we're done here." He jerked his arm away and walked back to his house. 

* * *

After seeing Donna come home in tears, Jackie decided to walk straight over there and reason with Eric. She reached the driveway where Hyde was playing basketball. "Is Eric inside?"

Hyde stopped dribbling the ball and looked at her. "Yeah, but he's locked himself in his room, so you can't talk to him."

She sighed. "I need to smooth things out since Donna is in no state to talk."

"So, I take it that the broken engagement news didn't go so well?"

"I don't think it's just that," she began. "I think she broke up with him for good."

Hyde tossed the ball aside. "I told her not to do this," he said, running his hands through his curly hair. "I shouldn't have let her kiss me."

She cocked an eyebrow. "You guys kissed?"

It finally dawned on him on who he was talking to. "Uh… well…"

"I don't care, Steven," she laughed. "I thought I would, but I don't."

Hyde was relieved and slightly hurt that this didn't bother her. "Wait, you're not mad?"

She shook her head. "You've always wanted Donna. I remember the way you used to look at her. You'd try to impress her, but she didn't notice." Jackie could recall the time when he asked her about what to get Donna for Christmas. She thought it was so sweet and was disappointed that her clueless friend didn't see it.

Unlike everyone else, Jackie didn't buy into the idea that Donna and Eric were the perfect couple. She knew, from the beginning, that there was something off about them. She didn't keep her opinion a secret. Unfortunately, no one else saw it, except for her.

"I didn't want this to happen," he said, his eyes on the ground. 

"I know you didn't mean it," Jackie told him. "But, I think you need to talk to him."

Hyde shook his head. "Oh, no. I'm not going to deal with that now."

"You have to," she reminded him. Donna and Hyde needed each other. Even though she still had feelings for him, she couldn't ever go back to him. He would be better off with someone else and so would she.

"Fine, I'll go." He was about to head inside, but he turned around to say one more thing. "Thanks." She only smiled at him. Jackie would forever hold a piece of his heart. She wasn't the first girl he ever loved, but she was the first to return it. It was something he would always appreciate.

He walked into the kitchen where both Red and Kitty were waiting for him. "He's in the basement," Red told him before he could ask.

Hyde took a few steps towards the basement door, but Kitty took a hold of his arm. "Wait, take these," she handed him a plate full of brownies. "They always used to cheer him up." Hyde nodded and made his way to the basement.

* * *

Eric could hear footsteps coming down the stairs. He knew who it was; he was the last person he wanted to see. Hyde knew this; nevertheless, he placed the plate full of brownies on the table and sat down next to him. "Hey."

"I don't feel like talking, man," Eric muttered, his arms crossed.

Hyde ignored him. "You gotta believe that I didn't plan all this to happen, man. I'm sorry. As much as you like to believe it, I wasn't trying to steal Donna away from you."

Eric snorted. "Funny, because that's what you just did."

Hyde clenched his fists. "I don't know what else to say to you."

"Good, then you can leave." Hyde got up from the couch and walked out of the basement. _'I don't need this.' _

An hour later, Eric walked upstairs to the living room. He was about to head up to his own room when Red called him over. "Sit down, Eric."

The young man plopped down on the couch and faced his father who was sitting in his recliner. "What do you want, Dad?"

"I heard what happened," Red began, "and I'm sorry. I know you're hurt, but you guys weren't ready for marriage."

Eric could feel himself filling up with anger. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you need to hear it," he told him firmly. "You two were not ready for marriage and one of you knew that. If it was really meant to be, it'll happen."

"It was supposed to happen," he muttered. "It should have happened." With that, he walked away.

* * *

The next couple of weeks passed rather quickly. Eric barely spoke to any of his friends. He did cool off a bit, but he still was angry with both Hyde and Donna, who have been spending much more time together. They weren't dating, but they weren't just friends either. It was something in between that couldn't be described. Hyde didn't need a label for them; he was happy to just be with her.

Although the break up still upset her, she couldn't help feeling free. She was about to start college, experience new things, meet new people, and finally become something. She was about to dive into a new life independently, away from the small town of Point Place. Hyde, of course, would visit her at the university. But, she wanted to take things slow, which Hyde was more than happy to do. He always knew that Donna wasn't the type of girl you can just tie down.

The day had finally arrived when Donna, Eric, and Kelso would head off to UW. Fez was going, along with the parents, to help them move into the dorms. Plus, he told Hyde that he would "keep an eye on Donna" and report back if any guys hit on her. Hyde just laughed and thanked him. He wouldn't be able to go himself since he had to work.

The Formans, plus Kelso, were already on their way to Madison. It was a good thing because Donna wanted to say goodbye to Hyde without Eric looking. She gave him a hug and planted a kiss on his lips. "I'll call you when I get there, okay?"

He held her close to his chest as his finger ran through her hair. "Sure, have fun over there. I'll come visit later."

She pulled away and looked over at Jackie who was standing next to them. "Bye, Jackie." She gave her friend a small hug. "Are you sure you can't come?"

Jackie pulled away. "Yeah. As the captain of the cheerleading squad, I have to hold practices."

She said her final goodbyes and got into the car with Bob and Fez. They pulled out of the driveway and drove off. Jackie waved to them until they were out of sight. She turned and smiled at Hyde. "You miss her already, don't you?"

"Shut up." He walked back inside, leaving a giggling Jackie in the driveway.

* * *

Hyde searched his drawers for his uniform. He was rummaging through his sock drawer when he spotted a picture hidden underneath his clothes. It was a picture of him and Donna at Lake Michigan. They were 10 at the time. He could remember that day clearly. Eric had gotten food poisoning, so he and Donna spent most of the day together.

He was about to put it back in the drawer, but decided to put it on the dresser instead. He didn't feel the need to hide it anymore. Eric would never completely get over the break up; Hyde knew this. If he really loved Donna and if his friendship with Hyde meant anything to him, he would accept it. 

After retrieving his uniform, he made his way to the garage where his parked El Camino waited for him. He was upset that he wouldn't be able to see Donna as much as he used to, but he would join her next year, along with Fez and Jackie.

He was turning on the ignition when it dawned on him: He was with Donna. After all these years of dreaming about it, he was finally with her. He pulled out of the driveway and drove off. A smile tugged on his lips when he thought about the days when he would get to visit her at school. She would be in his arms again, where she belonged.

__

'This is definitely something to look forward to.' 

* * * * * *

Well, that's the end of my fic. I know there's some unresolved issues involving Eric, but I will leave that up to your own imagination. Hopefully, you enjoyed it. I love feedback.


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